Thank you so much Jenjoremy and Gredelina1 for all that you do. Thank you all for reading, reviewing and supporting the story.
Chapter Twenty
Dean laughed, exhilarated, as they tore though the traffic, weaving between cars, and the SUV following them shrunk back a few more car lengths.
"Maybe slow down a little," Sam suggested.
Dean pressed down harder on the gas in response.
"Dean, what do you think will happen if we get pulled over by the cops?"
"I think we're going too fast for even them right now," he said with a grin.
Sam rolled his eyes. "Sure, a car chase is just what we need."
"This is a matter of pride, Sam. That feathered dick thinks he can follow us in the mom-mobile. I'm showing him how wrong he is. Besides, this is hilarious. We have a '67 Impala for crap's sake!"
"He could be following us for a reason," Sam said.
Dean scoffed. "Then he should have come said so in the bar, shouldn't he. Nope. Brace yourself, we're going for it."
Sam sank deeper in his seat and sighed as Dean slammed his foot down on the gas and they tore away from the angel in its SUV. Sam secretly thought Dean was right—the angel was following them—but he was mildly curious about why.
Dean glanced into the rearview mirror and slapped the steering wheel triumphantly. "And that is one of the many reasons you don't screw with the Winchesters! You end up eating dust."
"Can we slow down now?" Sam asked.
Dean raised his eyes heavenward and eased his foot off the gas a little so their speed became less likely to turn them to jelly if they crashed.
Dean relaxed in his seat and asked, "So, why do you think he was trying to follow us?"
"You're kidding, right? If you'd wanted to know, you could have pulled over and asked."
"I could have, but it was a matter of pride for me and my baby. He thought he could take us on. Don't tell me you didn't enjoy it."
Sam had gotten a kick out of leaving the angel in the dust. It was fun to see one of those that had been so high and mighty attempting to chase them down with human means. He smiled slightly.
"I knew it," Dean said happily. "You loved that just as much as I did."
"Wonder what he wanted though."
"One way to find out," Dean said, reaching into his pocket and tossed Sam his phone. "Give Cas a call and see what he knows."
Sam hit the second speed dial and tapped the speaker button. After only two rings, Castiel answered, "Dean? Are you okay?"
"We're fine, Cas," Dean said easily. "Sam's here, too."
"Hello, Sam," he said.
"Hey, Cas. You okay?"
"Yes," Castiel answered quickly. "Bartholomew is here, too. One moment." There was rustle and then Castiel's voice came back, slightly echoey, and Sam knew they were on speaker on his end, too.
"Sam, Dean," Bartholomew's formal voice said. "How can we help you?"
"Got a couple questions and some info for you," Dean said.
"Are you talking about your meeting with the King of Hell?" Bartholomew asked.
"Uh. Yeah," Sam said.
Dean cast him a look laden with meaning and said, "So the angel currently attempting—and failing—to follow us is one of yours, Bart."
"Of course," Bartholomew replied, superiority dripping from his tone. "At least I assume so. I just received a report from one of our field agents saying that in the course of his mission, he saw you both speaking with King of Hell in a public place. He also said that the demon disappeared in full view of ignorant humans."
"And he's trying to chase us down because…" Dean asked.
"I don't know," Bartholomew said. "Perhaps he wishes to speak to you."
Or perhaps there was something more sinister going on, Sam thought. Like him trying to track them back to where they were living now.
"Yeah, perhaps," Dean said his doubt obvious. "Afraid we lost him on the highway, though, so if he wants to talk to us again, he'll need to learn to drive faster."
"I will make sure he knows," Bartholomew said mildly. "Now, I assume you aren't calling to advise me on my agent's lack of driving capabilities."
"Yeah," Sam said. "If he heard what we were saying, you'll know Metatron is back on earth and Gadreel has definitely taken his old vessel again."
"Yes, quite an informative day for us all."
"What's the plan now, Cas?" Sam asked, intentionally addressing his friend rather than the superior angel, though it was Bartholomew that answered.
"We are going to step up our operations on the ground. We are confident that if we can apprehend Metatron, we can elicit the secret of how to reopen Heaven from him."
Torture. Though the word went unspoken, they all knew what it meant when Bartholomew said elicit. Sam didn't much care what they did to Metatron. He deserved to suffer for what he had done to Castiel—and the other angels he supposed—but he didn't want to be a part of it, nor did he want Dean to be. Let the angels do their own dirty work for a change.
"Good," Dean said savagely.
"What about Gadreel?" Sam asked. "Now that we know which vessel he's in, we can find him, right?"
"I have no doubt you will," Bartholomew said. "We have discussed the situation here, and we decided that to win this war, we need to direct our forces in the right direction. We are going to focus our attentions on Metatron, which leaves you free to focus on Gadreel."
"I thought that Cas' mission was Gadreel, too," Sam said.
"It was. Now we have a greater task and need all assistance we can get, Castiel's job is to be my second-in-command, and now that we're going to war, he needs to be focused on the right thing. Only by focusing can we win and have us all restored to greatness. Though, when you have found Gadreel, Castiel will of course be able to come to you for the execution, if not otherwise occupied."
"Of course," Dean said scathingly.
Sam sagged in his seat.
"Okay. We better get to it then," Dean said quickly, casting Sam a sideways glance. "I'd thank you for all your help so far, Bart, but since you haven't actually done shit, I won't bother. Cas, you take care of yourself and call when you can."
"I will," Castiel vowed, speaking for the first time since their conversation began.
Sam ended the call and dropped the phone back on the seat beside him. His fingertips ground into his temples and he groaned. They had banked on the angels' help to find Gadreel. The resources they had at their command far outweighed those Sam and Dean had. Charlie was a genius, but there was no way to track an angel the way there was demons. They left no signs of their presence. How they were going to find Gadreel alone, he didn't know.
"It's not the end, Sam," Dean said bracingly. "Sure, we haven't got the angels, but we didn't have them when we handled most of the stuff we have before. We're no worse off than we usually are."
"I know," Sam said tonelessly. "I do, but it would have been easier with a little heavenly help. Or any kind of help really. We don't even have Cas anymore. Charlie and Kevin are awesome, but neither of them are going to be able to help us much with this."
Dean looked thoughtful. "Okay. We don't have the angels, but we have something else. Maybe, I hope."
Sam raised an eyebrow. "Could you maybe be just a little more vague?"
"When you were missing, we went to Missouri for help. She said she had powerful connections in our world. Maybe those connections can help us now."
"Any idea what they are?" Sam asked hopefully.
"None. Only one way to find out. How do you feel about a trip to Lawrence?"
Lawrence. Their old house. Stull Cemetery. There weren't many places Sam wanted to go less, but if this was what it was going to take, it was where he was going to go.
"Sounds great," he lied.
Dean gave him an understanding smile and brought the engine to life again. "Then let's get gone."
Missouri was waiting on her porch when Dean pulled them to a halt in front of her house. Sam and Dean climbed out and made their way along the path to her door.
As he took in the sight of the older woman, Sam realized she'd hardly changed outwardly at all. There were a few more grey hairs but that was the only difference he saw. She seemed just as vibrant as she had all those years ago when she'd threatened Dean with a spoon. She smiled widely as they approached but when Dean reached her, she crossed her arms over her chest and said, "You made me a promise, Dean Winchester—you said you wouldn't deal with that demon!"
Dean stared into her eyes. "I know. I did what I had to do."
She sighed. "I guess it could have been worse."
"It was worth it," Dean said, his eyes shifting to Sam.
She beamed. "It was." She came to Sam and placed her hand on his arm. "It's good to see you again, Sam. You were missed."
"It's good to see you, too, Missouri," Sam said. "I'm sorry we left it so long."
"As you should be." She frowned at him, and Sam could almost feel her rooting through his thoughts. "Oh, child, I'm so sorry."
"For what?" Sam asked, confusion creasing his brow.
"I should have seen you in there. That cursed angel fooled me."
"He fooled everyone," Dean said bitterly.
"And you were… the whole time," she said sadly.
Sam knew what she meant and he didn't want to get into a conversation about how he'd been trapped back in the cage, so he redirected quickly. "It's why we're here," he said. "We're hunting him. Dean thought you might have someone that could help us."
"Come on in," she said.
Sam followed her into the house and to the lounge, Dean behind him. They took seats side by side on Missouri's couch and she took a seat opposite them on the armchair.
Dean looked around the room and it seemed to Sam he was seeing something more than the heavy curtains and dark wood furniture. His expression was dark.
"So," Missouri said, "You're hunting the angel that was in you."
"Among other things," Dean replied.
She nodded thoughtfully. "I see. That's quite the helping you boys have on your plates right now."
"Yeah," Dean said. "Abaddon, Metatron and now Gadreel."
"And opening Heaven," she added. "You're working on that, too."
Sam glanced at Dean. He had assumed after the phone call that they were going to leave Bartholomew and his team to work the Heaven problem while they focused on Gadreel, and Crowley on Abaddon. It seemed the most sensible division of labor to him. Dean was nodding, though, indicating that they weren't on the same page.
"We are?" Sam asked.
Dean looked at him and there was guilt in his eyes. "I think we have to, Sam," he said. "Cas needs to get away from Bart and the only way he's going to have a chance of doing that is if their mission is over—Metatron dead and Heaven open."
Sam felt a wave of guilt. Other than to tie himself in knots about Castiel and what he had done for him, he hadn't thought about the situation properly the way Dean obviously had. Sam certainly hadn't thought about how they were going to get Castiel away from Bartholomew.
"And there is the veil to think of, too," Missouri said. "We cannot free those trapped souls until Heaven is open to take them in again."
For the first time Sam let himself think properly of the sheer task facing them. There was so much. How were they supposed to do it all without letting some people down in the process?
He felt Missouri's eyes on him, and he looked up to see her nodding slowly, as if urging him to the right answer. And the answer was there. He knew what he had to do, but he didn't want to accept it. Gadreel had him tortured by the two most imaginative angels in the universe. He would have left him there forever to suffer, leaving Dean to search for him endlessly. That was unforgivable.
"You don't have to forgive, Sam," Missouri said quietly.
He nodded. He didn't need to forgive or forget; he had to let it go though. The mission that had been fuelling him since he got control back of his own body would have to be shelved for the sake of his friend and the world. He would have to leave Gadreel until they had dealt with their other problems.
He felt a lump form in his throat and he swallowed hard.
"Sam? You okay?" Dean probed.
"I have to let him go, don't I?" Sam asked, looking at Missouri who nodded sympathetically.
"Who?" Dean asked, then he understood. "Gadreel? No way! No chance!"
"We've got no choice," Sam said. "Cas needs us more, and we can't split our focus. We have to let Crowley find Abaddon and call us in when it's time, and we have to deal with Metatron. Bartholomew is right—the only way to find a way back to Heaven is through him. We have to save Cas now."
"But what he did…" Dean said angrily. "He hurt us all, Cas included."
"I know, and when Cas is free from Bartholomew, we'll all work together to take Gadreel out, but he's not the biggest problem now. Killing him is about revenge, not helping anyone else." He looked to Missouri. "Am I right?"
"You are," she said sadly. "I understand the need for revenge for you both, but there are more important things."
Dean got to his feet and strode to the window, staring out on Missouri's neat flowerbeds. "I can't believe you want to let him get away with this," he growled.
"I don't," Sam said. "And I won't let him get away with anything. But he has to wait."
Dean's hands fisted. Sam felt the same way. He wanted to hurt, to kill, to punish Gadreel, but more than that he wanted Castiel back with them—free.
He turned to Missouri. "These people you know, can they help us with Metatron?"
"Yes," she said. "They can help you find him at least."
"Who are they?" Dean asked in short bitten off words.
"I'll show you," Missouri said. She lifted her gaze from Dean's back and said, "If you have a minute, Sam and Dean are here."
She arrived with no sound. One moment there were three of them in the room, the next there was a fourth. Tessa.
Dean spun on his heel, his voice shocked as he said her name.
"Hello, Dean," she said. "Sam."
She looked terrible. Her skin was wan and her eyes mournful. She seemed to sag where she stood, instead of being tall and proud as she had been before.
"What happened to you?" Dean asked at once.
"Heaven was closed," she said.
"Tessa, like all reapers, can hear the souls in the veil," Missouri explained. "She can hear them…"
"Screaming," Tessa finished.
Sam felt sick at the thought of all those souls, trapped, screaming for help, and he wondered how Tessa was still sane hearing it all as long as she had.
"I am so sorry," Sam said.
Tessa looked at him, void of expression. "What do you have to be sorry for? You stopped before it could get even worse."
"How could it have been worse?" Sam asked.
"Heaven is closed," Tessa said. "All souls bound there are in the veil. The hell bound souls are in hell though. Had you finished the third trial you were working towards, all souls would be trapped now. Can you imagine how many that would be?"
"I never thought…" Sam whispered.
"Why would you?" she asked. "Even if you had known, you would have done nothing differently, would you? It was only your brother's pleading at the end that stopped you."
"How do you know about that?" Sam asked.
"I was told by Death," she said, "He was with you from the moment you started the first trial, the moment you were set on the path to die." She looked at Dean. "He is not happy with you."
Dean shrugged. "Don't really care."
"You should," she said darkly.
Dean opened his mouth to reply, but Sam spoke over him. "We need help, Tessa."
"Yes, you are searching for the angel Metatron."
"Can you help us find him?"
"Of course. We are eternal and many, and we can see angels even when they are concealing themselves. That angel cannot hide from us."
"Good," Sam said savagely.
"What do you intend to do when you find him?" she asked.
"Kill him," Dean growled.
Tessa nodded. "That is what I hoped to hear, but you must do something for us if we're to help you."
"What?" Sam asked, though he thought he already knew.
"You must find the way to open Heaven from him. We cannot let him die until we know a way to free the souls from the veil."
"We will," Sam vowed. It was their intention all along anyway.
"Very well," Tessa said, extending a hand to him. Sam shook it, feeling no hesitation.
"Thank you, Tessa," he started. "We're… " But then his phone rang, and trailed off. He pulled it from his pocket automatically and checked the caller ID then answered with a mild, "Charlie?"
"Oh, thank God," Charlie said quickly. "Are you guys okay?"
"We're fine. What's wrong?"
"The panels are going nuts," Charlie said. "They're all lit up and there's this noise, and Kevin said it's like last time, when the angels fell, and—"
"Slow down," Sam interrupted. "Where are you?"
"We're in the bunker still."
"Good," Sam said. "Stay in there. Don't open the door to anyone but us. We'll be there as soon as we can."
"Okay," she said. "Be careful though, Sam. I think something really big is happening."
"We'll be okay," Sam said. "See you real soon, Charlie."
So… Things are heating up now. There's 9 full chapters left now and they're going to be packed with action, so get ready.
Until next time…
Clowns or Midgets xxx